I wake to the sun’s goldens rays on my face. I squint my eyes and pull my hand out from underneath beige sheets to shield myself from the light. Despite my lack of visual clarity, I already have a vague idea where I am. A door to my left slides open suddenly and a figure dressed in a white coat and green blouse enters. It takes a while for my mind to process who I’m looking at but after analyzing their stern gaze and neat updo, a sudden warmth soothes my soul.

“Hey, doc,” I say, trying my best to form a grin on my swollen face.

“You’re awake,” Doctor Hsu replies almost half surprised. “I didn’t expect you to be awake for at least a few more hours. How do you feel?”

“Honestly... like shit…” I reply with a light chuckle which quickly turns into a pained cough.

“Try not move your body too much,” she says. She takes her medical tablet and thoroughly scans my head and torso.

“Can you recall what happened before you became unconscious?”

I reflect silently on last night's events. Then a feeling of sadness weighs down upon me.

“Oh god… I messed up really bad,” I say softly. “I had an attack and… is everyone okay? Did I hurt them?”

Doctor Hsu pouts her lips. “They’re fine, Ayden— a little scuffed, but okay.”

I bow my head in shame. “I don’t know what happened. When Dawud was burning all I could see was my mother. It brought back so many memories and I couldn’t stop them…”

Doctor Hsu sets aside her tablet on a medical cart nearby and then rests her palm on my shoulder.

“It’s okay, Ayden,” she says assuringly. “What happened there wasn’t your fault and your team understands that.”

“Did… did Dawud survive?” I ask.

The doctor shakes her head. “The extensive damage done to his tissue and skin was too great for any medpod chamber to aid in recovery. He died shortly after arriving here.”

“Oh… god…” I dread. “Where’s my team? Can I see them?

“They’re here as well getting their wounds accessed, but I’m not going to dismiss you until you made a full recovery—but if I see them, I’ll send them to you, okay?”

“Yeah,” I reply. “Can you find them as soon as possible? They must be devastated…”

Doctor Hsu smiles and pats my shoulder gently. “I’ll try.”

I glance around the medical room and happen to notice another medical tablet resting on a chair in the corner of the room. Raw instinct tells me exactly who it belongs to without a second thought.

“Have you seen Keith?” I ask eagerly.

“Oh yeah,” Doctor Hsu replies with a nod. “He just went downstairs to the cafe to grab some food. He’ll be back anytime now.”

“Hm,” I reply.

“Yeah, he spent the whole night at your bedside waiting for you to wake up. He was so worried, I’ve never seen him cry like that. He kept whispering in your ear, apologizing.”

My heart swells and I smile. Suddenly, Doctor Hsu is interrupted by the aggressive beats of a rap song. Without hesitation she reaches into her front pocket and plucks out her holophone, a green one with a little pendant dangling from the corner.

“Sorry, I have to take this, give me a moment?”

I nod.

“Yes, Admiral?” She answers, then pauses.

“Yes, Ayden is doing alright, I’m with him now. He woke up just a few moments ago.”

There’s another pause, slightly longer than before.

“Well of course... he’s resilient and headstrong. A perfect candidate, just like I said he would be.”

Another pause.

“Yeah, he kind of reminds me of Shadow during the war... remember?”

A short pause.

“Of course we still talk, coincidentally enough I just saw her a few moments ago. She came by to drop off a get well present and check on how the remodeling turned out in the front lobby.”

A shorter pause.

“Of course Light was with her, you know they don’t go anywhere without each other. They’re inseparable.”

Doctor Hsu then chuckles. “Alright, Admiral. I’ll keep an eye on our little troublemaker, don’t worry.”

She hangs up and looks to me, still chuckling lightly.

“Shadow… Light… The Saviors were here?” I ask excitedly.

“Yeah, for a little bit. Who do you think got you the bouquet?” she replies, gesturing behind me. I turn my head and notice a colorful arrangement of roses and lavender set in a tall crystal vase. A small folded card hangs near the top with a handwritten message inside.

~Dear Ayden O’Hara

We heard about what had happened and rushed over immediately to express our deepest condolences. It was extremely brave standing up for your fellow squadmates in their time of need and we hope to see you on your feet real soon.

-Sincerely,

Your idols, The Saviors

PS: When time permits it, we would love to take you to dinner. Our treat of course.

“Did you… did you ask them to do this?” I ask, my mouth agape in disbelief.

Doctor Hsu shakes her head and tries her best to hide her smug grin. “Nope, I had no part in it.”

I look back to the bouquet and admire the flowers. If only I had been awake sooner, I could’ve seen them in the flesh. But at least I have a future dinner to look forward to.

“So... you think I’m like Shadow?” I say beaming with pride. If my head weren’t already swollen like a peach, I’m sure it would’ve grown twice as big.

“Yeah. She was extremely resolute on the battlefield. Always determined to see the mission through to the end but also altruistic towards her comrades.”

“She was also a powerful Kinetic too. I once read she single handedly used her powers to escort countless civilians to evacuation shuttles during the invasion.”

“Kinetic?” she says, almost surprised. Then she quickly nods her head in a moment of clarity. “Right, right. She was a Kinetic; Light was a Titan. Sorry, i-it’s been so long.”

Before I could say another word there is a gentle knock at the door. I crane my head upwards and my heart accelerates with joy. Keith’s back I assume. Doctor Hsu answers the door and then instantly takes a half step back. Her profile twists with visible displeasure and quickly I realize it’s not Keith.

“Pardon the intrusion doctor, but may I have time alone with Ayden?” says the brassy voice of Prime Minister Cain. Much to her disdain, she steps aside and allows him to enter. Two members of secret service follow after him, including an unexpected appearance from Director York.

“I’ll be back,” Doctor Hsu says silently when the Prime Minister isn’t looking. She exits the room, leaving a trail of fire in her wake. The Prime Minister watches closely until the door clicks shut.

“Alright…” he says, gesturing to his servicemen. They simultaneously pull out a small handheld device from their suit pockets and proceed to scan the area of the room. Both devices ping in approval shortly after.

“Clear,” they say plainly and with little enthusiasm.

“Ayden, my boy!” roars the Prime Minister in a sudden burst of excitement. “We have to stop meeting like this! How are you feeling?”

I shrug half-heartedly. “A little beat up, but alright I guess.”

“Good,” he says, raising a clenched fist up to his chest. “It’s great to hear you made it out alright. I heard what happened, it’s unfortunate Dawud succumbed to Lupo’s influence at the club.”

I furrow my brows and lightly shake my head in disagreement.

“Sir... uh, I don’t think thats what happened. Dawud was an addict, he was taking this drug… I think it was some version of an antidepressant I used to take, but he became rampant after taking the entire bottle.”

The Prime Minister and the Director both exchange a look of bewilderment and then glance back to me.

“Mr. Abidi’s medical file suggests he was on many different types of antidepressants so it is hard to conclude that was the culprit,” says the Director, scratching his chin. “However, during Connor Petrov’s interrogation, he stated Lupo had spotted the lone Dawud in the club and approached him, where she used her gift to convince him to turn on his allies.”

“No, that can’t be right,” I protest. “I knew Dawud. He wouldn’t have hesitated to subdue her if she confronted him head on. I faced Lupo before and was victim to her trance twice. It takes awhile for her influence to take over.”

The Director opens his mouth to rebuttal but the Prime Minister cuts him off before he can even get a word out.

“Well that’s why we’re here, Ayden,” he interjects. “To get the story correct for the mission report. Why don’t you tell me your side of the story and we’ll compare notes with the facts the the Director has gathered.”

“I’m telling you, Dawud took more than the prescribed dose of that drug,” I reply. “During the siege of the abandoned subway, I noticed he was popping those pills like candy. He became a lot more irritable and he would use his kinetic powers more aggressively. If you had been in the club with us when he killed all those people, you would’ve noticed his power level skyrocketed from his last TST. I know Lupo couldn’t have done that. The drug is the only thing that makes sense.”

The Prime Minister and Director remain silent for a few moments. It’s clear by the blank look on their faces that they aren’t entirely convinced or compelled by my story.

“You mentioned earlier you encountered Lupo...” says the Prime Minister, veering off topic.

“Yeah...?” I drawl, wondering what exactly he is getting at by stating the obvious.

“Who is to say your memory of last night is reliable? We’d have to assume Lupo may have influenced your recollection of last night and take your word with a grain of salt.”

“With all due respect, sir, I know what I saw.” I reply, trying my best not to come off as defiant. “Lupo only used her powers to try and capture me but I managed to escape.”

“How could you escape if you were under her trance?”

“I was able to escape because she began acting all weird…” I reply.

“Weird how?” asks the Prime Minister, leaning forward a bit.

“I don’t know how to explain it. She just began crying all of a sudden, claiming Lupo was making her act against her will and how she was too weak to fight back for control. It was like her personality was split or something. But the next thing I knew, I had full control of my body so I broke her arm, but she managed to escape during my scuffle with Connor.”

The Prime Minister withholds a response and pouts his lips slightly in contemplation. I glance over to Director York to get a glimpse of his reaction only to find he’s nose deep in his holophone documenting my statement.

“This is very informative, Ayden,” says the Prime Minister, breaking the silence. “We appreciate your input but until we can gather more evidence, we’ll have to assume Dawud’s betrayal was directly caused by Lupo’s brainwashing, not prescription antidepressants.”

“You have to believe me!” I interject. “I know what I saw! Ask the others!”

“Ayden,” The Prime Minister interrupts calmly. “I understand this is all extremely overwhelming for you, losing a fellow squadmate is rough; but I need you to trust me.”

Too angry for words I huff with flared nostrils. My heart pounds in my chest but as quickly as the anger came, it subsides. The Prime Minister is right. If Connor confessed the truth. Who am I to go against the facts?

“Okay…” I say calmly.

“Glad we came to an agreement, my boy,” he says with a grin. He and I share a moment of eye contact before he turns away.

“Oh, and one more thing…” he says, turning back around to face me.

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you go to sleep? I need you at peak performance if we’re ever going to capture Lupo,” he winks.

“I’ll try to…” I reply unconfidently. I’m wide awake now, I don’t think I can fall back asleep, not after a conversation like this. There is just too much information to process and digest now that my eyes are open to another truth.

Then suddenly, a wave of exhaustion creeps up from nowhere. I’m tired now. I close my eyes, and drift into a deep sleep.

In my slumber I return to the Grand Metro Station. I can see my mom is deeply upset. She’s yelling on the phone while pounding her fist onto the ATM machine. People in the station terminal were staring, and I was scared. I hug her leg but she brushes me away. Not now, she said. She hands me her credit chip, then points to a vending machine. Buy a soda, she said. We almost never had soda, and I was excited to get one. I leave her side for what feels like seconds, and when I turn around she’s gone. Afraid, I shout her name but she doesn’t respond. Then in the distance, I find her among the afternoon crowd. I drop the soda, and chase after her. My harsh cries echo through the terminal and no matter how hard I run I can’t seem to catch up to her.

She descends the escalator leading to the platform then continues her charge through the busy crowd. I follow her onto the platform, crying a river of tears. I trip suddenly on my own laces and hit my head on the hard floor. I wail like a siren then I feel someone helping me up. I never saw their face, their hand accidentally graces my EvGeni medical bracelet. I remember an audible gasp, and then they throw my hand aside in fear. I wipe the tears for the eyes and continue my pursuit. The platform leads to a dead end where I find my mother standing with her back turned to me. A train emerges from the tunnel before stopping. She turns around, and gazed upon me through the red eyed mask of Lupo.

The sudden realization is enough to force me awake. I throw myself upright in bed, clutching at my heart and taking deep gasps of air. Keith and Doctor Hsu rush to my side, pacing me through slower breaths.

“Woah, are you alright?” asks Doctor Hsu, patting my shoulder gently. The thought of my mother as Lupo twists my stomach into a knot disorienting me. Too distressed to articulate words, I nod my head to the doctor. I wait for the moment to pass.

“Bad dream?” asks Keith. I didn’t have the energy for details, so I nod again.

“I’m surprised you passed out as quickly as you did,” says Doctor Hsu. “Talked you to sleep I suppose…”

“Something like that…” I reply with huff. I look over to Keith then smile cautiously. His eyes are exhausted and inflamed, but he manages to return a smile. I kindly open my palm to him. He accepts and holds my hand.

“Are we good?” I ask. The question spills like mud from my mouth but I need to know.

“Yeah,” he replies. I hug him as hard as I physically can.

“Good,” I say, choking back the tears of joy. “It would fucking lose my mind if I didn’t have you.”

Pyrrha and Jorge enter the room, thankfully in better condition than I could’ve hoped for. Jorge’s head is wrapped in gauze and his nose is bandaged while Pyrrha’s left arm is nicely roosted in a beige colored splint.

“Aye, chino! Happy to see you made it,” says Jorge. The two approach my bedside side and hug me.

“Hey,” I reply. “I’m so glad to see you two are alright.”

“How are you feeling?” asks Pyrrha.

“Sore,” I reply. “What about you?”

She shrugs half-heartedly. “I’ve been a lot better… Dawud’s dead… if you haven’t heard…”

She rubs her broken arm with a melancholy expression, but pulls off an assuring grin. Jorge wraps his arm around her waist gingerly then kisses her on the top of her head. She leans into him welcomely.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I know you were close with Dawud…”

“It’s not your fault…” interjects Jorge. “It’s that’s bitch, Veronica’s!”

“Do you know what happened?” I ask.

“The Prime Minister and York filled us in,” replies Pyrrha. Jorge nods his head.

“I must have been when I looked away or something!” says Jorge remorsefully. “Dawud was with me the entire time! She could’ve done it from afar… I don’t know!”

“We underestimates her power...” says Pyrrha.

“Well I’m glad you broke her arm… She’s going to pay for what she did…” says Jorge, almost growling. “I just can’t believe she escaped again…”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” says Doctor Hsu. “... right now you three should be taking this lapse in time to rest up and recover from your injuries.”

“Yeah, whatever I guess,” he replies with an exhausted sigh. “I need to go out for a smoke.”

He nudges Pyrrha’s side and then gestures smoking a cigarette with his index and middle finger. She hands him her box of cigarettes from her back pocket.

“Go on without me, I’m going to stay with Ayden,” she says.

“I don’t want to smoke alone either,” Jorge says disdainfully. He glances to Keith, offering a cigarette from the pack. Keith quickly turns him down with a rapid head shake. Jorge then turns to Doctor Hsu. She reflects on his offer briefly.

“Eh, fuck it, why not?” she replies. The two dismiss themselves from the room, leaving only Pyrrha, Keith and I. As they leave, Keith’s holo-phone rings with another of his mother’s songs.

“Hey, G-Ma!” he answers with a cheery voice. He puts quickly puts his finger to his other ear and hunkers his head downwards. “G-Ma, I can barely hear you. Hang on.”

He rests his palm of the mouth end of his phone. “I’ll just be a sec, I’m going to go outside.”

He squeezes my cybernetic hand a few times before exiting the room, leaving only Pyrrha and I. Tired from standing on her feet, she pulls up a stool from the corner of the room and slides it over to the bedside. We sit in relative silence until Pyrrha begins to pat her hands on her knees. I reflect quietly on the dream, trying to decipher the unusual context.

“Can I tell you something in confidence?” I ask.

“Sure,” Pyrrha answers.

“Before I joined the force, I used to have this recurring nightmare of the Red August bombing. So I had my memories erased by this Doctor who was also a Menomokinetic. He warned me after the procedure that if I didn’t give myself enough time to recover, I may relapse.”

“Okay…” Pyrrha replies, tilting her head slightly as she processes the information.

“Lately, bits and pieces have been slowly coming back to me, and the fight with Dawud helped me remember something I cannot even begin to fathom.”

Pyrrha tilts her head even more to the side, completely lost now by my bizarre descriptions.

“I think my mom...” I pause. My heart cannot find the courage to complete the sentence. I repeat the thought in my head and it sounds completely incredulous. “... I think my mom was responsible for the Red August bombing…”

Pyrrha sinks into her seat with visible unease. She ponders her response silently while darting her eyes side to side. She opens her mouth to say something, but then stops before she can get anything out.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I didn’t mean to drop that on you so suddenly. I just needed to get something off my chest.”

“How come you don’t tell the doctor?” she asks.

“I don’t want it to be a spectacle,” I reply. “I know Keith, and I know how the world works. I just don’t want that kind of attention right now.”

“Well if it’s true I don’t think you should withhold it. You should tell someone—York, at least. I’m sure he can keep this sort of thing anonymous.”

I look to my tattoo with a new, unsettling perspective then sigh.

“Maybe I’m just overthinking things…”